Updates on life

Well, we are here living the hotel life. :) I Haven't blogged any because my hands/fingers are hurting so bad (and internet connection here stinks). It's amazing how one symptom can ruin a great pregnancy. It's a pain that NEVER stops. So it consumes my brain. (In fact, it will probably take 4 times longer to type this blog b/c I'll have to stop and give my hands a break)

HOTEL UPDATE:

Going on schedule to move in February 28th. That's NEXT FRIDAY! Woohoo!!!! We're on week 3 of hotel life.... and we're making the best of it.... but the laundry part SUCKS. Like, seriously. I've washed our clothes here the last 2 weeks..... and they don't dry all the way so I we have clothes hung over every sq ft of this suite and I fold them the next morning. Luckily, we are going to a friend's to play tomorrow so she's going to let me wash over there. Our clothes will ACTUALLY be clean for the first time in 3 weeks! lol I'm sure the ones here don't clean them very well at all. Anyways... aside from the clothes.... the stay has been great. Breakfast is great- we love Ms. Shannon. She keeps the girls stocked up with Froot Loops. Our first week here, they had NO fruity cereal- which is so odd to me. So the second week we finally spoke up and asked for some- and she realized the girls were going to ask her every morning for some- so she's ready in the mornings now. ;) Kallie loves to eat a bowl of Raisin Brand & then Froot Loops. Kensley eats 2 boxes of Froot Loops. I eat a waffle. EVERY morning. They're SO good- ha! And luckily I'm pregnant so I have an "excuse" for eating bad. Kensley told her teacher at school that her mommy eats a big waffle in the shape of Texas every morning. lol I typically bring a couple cups of milk and OJ back up to the room if we come back up- stock up while we can ;) Also, a week into our stay, I realized dinner was served FREE every night. Uh, what?!?!?! So duh- we eat down there every night now- Monday-Thursday. It gets us out of the room and the girls love it- maybe not necessarily the food- but just the atmosphere. Staying so long, we see all kinds of people come and go- there was a family there with two little kids that we'd see every morning and evening but they left last weekend. It was bittersweet- ha! We didn't really know them but did stop long enough to tell eachother why we'd been staying so long. Their bathroom flooded the downstairs of their house so they were getting that fixed.... when they left, I was happy for them- and wishing it was us. lol There's another lady here- she and her husband. He works and she's always at breakfast- same table- every morning. The girls love her- she doesn't really talk to us- they just love that they are always going to see "that lady" eating. We talked to her yesterday and she told us her husband's job has him traveling and she just goes with him (they're older- grandparents). They're here for 3 weeks and then San Antonio next week and then they go back home to California the following week. So this will be the last week we see her! So all in all, we've had a good stay here. But honestly- I'm READY TO BE OUT OF HERE!!!!!


KENSLEY/KALLIE
They are both doing GREAT at school! They love their classes and I LOOOOOOVE the school and staff. Everyone is so sweet and love my girls and it shows. Kensley is learning to read already. They do site words here- and she's picking up fast. She was really bored at her old school and it became VERY evident once we got to her new school. She needs a challenge. Kallie is LOVING her class. She LOVES her teachers and she's actually wanting to learn now- which is a total change from her last school. She did not really click well with the teachers for whatever reason- and she wasn't really learning anything. Or maybe she just wasn't as "excited" about learning? I don't know what it is- I just know she's excelling more at this school.


KHLOE
Is it time yet?!?!?! Yikes! I'm 38 weeks now and am READY! I went to the dr today- dilated 2cm and 70% effaced. Like I mentioned earlier- my hands are my only problem..... my feet are swollen, too- but they don't hurt. I can't hardly move anymore- but luckily I have two little helpers that have been so good to help me if I drop something or get things off the floor. lol We tried to schedule an induction for Tuesday but they're booked.... so I'm praying a spot will open up--- or heck, she'll come on her own before then! I have another appointment on Monday.... so we'll see what kind of progress we have!

HOUSE
NEXT FRIDAY! We have 9 more days here. 9.more.days. I am so ready to get to the house! Lots of new furniture will be delivered and I get to set up the girls' room! I'm super excited :)

the transition to the next chapter...

We are currently in transition. out of the old house, waiting on the new one. Visiting parents this weekend and then we'll head to our temporary living for the rest of the month.

PREGNANCY:

35w 3d
MAJOR swelling- hands ache constantly, still. It's pretty miserable to say the least. :( But Khloe is doing great- growing just fine and still moving like a mad woman! I can't wait to hold her! 4.more.weeks.

KENSLEY:
She's getting anxious to start her new school Monday. She's excited about it. We've been talking a lot about meeting new friends. We were outside yesterday riding their jeep and a little girl came out- she and Kensley "met" and Kensley was SO pumped b/c she had met a new friend! haha Sweet girl.

KALLIE:
Eh- she's not as thrilled as Kensley to start a new school. We'll take it slow with her. She's loving all the time here with grandparents though.

We got to spend the evening/morning with cousins. The girls were in heaven. We saw Frozen (for the 2nd time) and then the girls' cousin came and spent the night with us. Fun times!

Tomorrow we'll be packing up the car and heading north.....to a hotel suite.....for most of February.... we can do this!

catching up--- before this COOOLD weather

we had a few days of absolutely GORGEOUS weather before this cold front blew in. Here's proof ;)

Baby it's COOOOLD outside

Well, it's been up in the 70's this week and is now in the low 30's today. Gotta love this weather! I don't mind the cold... it's the misty rain and wind that has come with it this time that is enough to throw me into a deep depression. BLAH!

The girls were suppose to go to gymnastics this afternoon but I decided we'd skip. Not to be productive around the house with packing- but to just be bums and lazy. Because I just don't have any energy at this point. We got up and went to a friend's house this morning (she lives right behind us) and do a craft. She saw something on Pinterest and wanted to make it- so we've been getting it together all week so we could paint the letters on and FINISH it today. We went to Home Depot and bought some wood and had them cut it for us- then we used wood glue to glue the pieces together and then we stained it. We used about 3 coats of a dark stain- it turned out great! In fact, I felt like I had just built a house or something- like I accomplished something HUGE. I mean, I've never done a craft like this before.... so I was pumped. We made the stencils today and painted the letters on. My letters are FAAAAR from perfect but when hung up high on a wall, we should be ok ;) I'm going to try to do it with vinyl next time- I think it'll turn out better (less messy). All in all, it was a good time with friends! (oh, and my fingers tingled the ENTIRE time... and were numb. I am SOOOOOOO ready for that to be over with. It just about drives me crazy....daily)

This past weekend, a friend/neighbor of mine took maternity pictures for me. She's wanting to start advertising more styled sessions for maternity- and so she went out of her way to get some super cute props- and even made the chiffon dress I was wearing! It was gorgeous and totally "made" the pictures. She's super talented in the sewing department.... kind of like a jack of all trades. ;) Anyways, here are some of the shots she got. I LOOOOVE them. 

I'm 34 weeks now- not much longer! I am SO ready for Khloe to get here- although we really aren't "ready". We have no car seat for her.... so that's on our priority list once we move next weekend. All of my friends are having their babies so it's making me REALLY ready now. ha! I hope moving into a new home and having a new, organized kitchen and a baby on the OUTSIDE will allow me enough motivation to actually start cooking HEALTHY again! We'll see ;)

Beautiful weather and friends

Well, it's been SO pretty lately. I feel like God is definitely letting us have some fun with our friends before we head out in a couple weeks. Today is a school holiday so we're going to get together with a ton of friends in the culd-a-sac in my neighborhood and PLAY! and mommies can just hang out! :) High of 79 today, yes, 79!

Here are a few pictures from our little play date last week with friends. These two girls are Kensley & Kallie's buddies. We've known them since we first moved here and I know my girls will truly miss these two.

Khloe is growing like a weed it feels like. My fingers are still tingly/numb. A LOT. I'm so tired of it. But not too much longer! I've ordered her bedding. I'm SO excited about it! I finally found something on Etsy. I can't wait to get moved in and get it all decorated! 

Here's to another week of packing up.... 

Baby Shower fun

I had my baby shower yesterday- it was so much fun. And BEAUTIFUL! My friends went above and beyond and I couldn't be more thankful. It was a nice change in our normal pace right now- to be able to focus just on baby Khloe. I've been on the go so much, I feel like I haven't given her as much of my attention as I did with Kensley and Kallie. If that makes sense? And it all made things more "real". I haven't bought ANYTHING for her yet- no nursery stuff, no clothes. Nothing. So to see the gifts my friends brought me, it was hard to hold back tears. Thankful tears.

Here are some pictures from the morning. Again, this made me so happy- it was just too beautiful!

Now an update on the pregnancy. This past week was BAD for me. I'm telling you, this pain in my hands and tingling in my fingers has been just about unbearable at night. That is my only complaint right now- I'm just trying to make it through all of this craziness- once she's here, I know I'll forget about all this crazy pain I've been in. 

The girls are getting excited about the move- well, Kensley is. Kallie isn't- which I expected. We're talking about it and going to do a lot of play dates the rest of this month so we can get a lot of pictures for them to put in their rooms to have little memories to look back on. We'll be visiting this summer, for sure!

As for now, that's all the updates I have! My fingers can't take any more computer time so I'll go pack some more and rest some.... ;) 

31w4d

Well, I am on my 32nd week of this pregnancy and am SO excited to meet this baby girl. She moves ALLLLLL the time.... has the hiccups right now.,.... and loves to make me suffer by sitting on nerves that make my fingers tingle which has ultimately given me a good pregnancy case of carpal tunnel. Lovely, huh? ;) She's all worth it though. I will say that I am SO ready to be back to normal- to get to walk normal again. To MOOOOVE normal again. To sleep without having pain in my hands. Wake up and be able to open my hands without being in a LOT of pain. Stand up without my quad going numb. I had some of this with Kallie- but she was mostly sciatic nerve pain. And that was painful. So I guess this is just another type you go through.... anyways- only 8 weeks to go. EIGHT WEEKS! Yikes. SO much will go on in 8 weeks. Finish packing up a house.... storing things in storage... live in a hotel suite for a few weeks.... switch to an new (old) dr....*hopefully* move into a new home... and then DELIVER!.....come home to a house that is probably not completely unpacked.... juggle a newborn w/two precious big sisters.... decorate the house.... Let's just pray my mom can be there to help me a LOT! I'll need her!!!

My shower is next weekend- I am excited yet nervous- mainly b/c I know I'll be an emotional wreck b/c this will be one of the last times I'll get to see all my AWESOME mom friends I have met up here. I'm telling you- I've said it before and I'll say it again. they are awesome. HANDS DOWN. They've been such a blessing and my saving grace. I will miss them DEARLY and pray God puts some new moms in my life that are just as awesome as they've been.

Deborah, a fellow mom/photographer friend of mine, took a few shots for me- mainly b/c bern needed a couple for the shower. I'm ready to do the official session with her (it'll include the girls AND daddy). I'm already starting to swell pretty bad (which I didn't do with Kensley or Kallie) so I need to get these pictures done SOON!

Here are a few she took- love them!

We found a home!

Yes- we found a house! I am super excited.... and a lot more upbeat in this post vs the last. ;) I'll post more about what's been going on when I get a chance... until then.... our next home.... and Kent probably won't let me post any more pictures.... ;)

Christmas this year... a lot on our plate...

Well, Christmas this year was full of busy, on the go, stressful stuff. We still don't have Kent well. This stresses me out. I love that man and I can't stand to see him suffer... please keep him in your prayers- I am praying we can get this all figured out before the baby gets here. I want to be able to enjoy Khloe when she gets here. I want KENT to be able to enjoy her. I want him to be able to fully enjoy life... without a headache or stomach hurting or chest pain....

Christmas this year was stressful, yes, but it was so awesome. Awesome in that this is the first year Kensley really "gets" everything. She had a BLAST opening gifts, going to see family and just being in the Christmas spirit. I really wish I would've tried to focus more on what Christmas is all about, but I failed. :( I had so much on my mind that I let the most important part go. My goal for next year is to really focus on Jesus' birthday vs getting presents from everyone. I feel like a failure :/

House hunting-- still going. We think we found something, though - so I'm a little relieved. I say "little" because I won't be completely relieved until we sign on the line securing the house. My head is almost just dizzy thinking about everything we have going on right now. I will be delivering in the DFW area- I talked to Kent today and told him we need to make that happen. I had a break down today while we were driving home and I was talking to my mom on the phone. I want to have Khloe where we are right now so bad- I love my doctor, I ADORE my friends (they are THE best ever. hands down.) but I want to be able to have her in DFW b/c that's where we'll be living soon.... I don't want to deliver 3+ hours away from where our next home will be. I want the dr in DFW to deliver me.... that way if anything happens, he's right there. Not 3 hours away. I don't have to hang around here for post op appts and all that jazz while my house is waiting on me in DFW. I just want to be settled. My body wants to be settled. My head/mind wants to be settled. I don't deal with stress well and this is just about to do me in.

Anyways- I feel better blogging about the stuff going on right now- feels good to just "get it out". Here are some fun pictures from this Christmas holiday.... I forgot my good camera at home (I was devastated!) so I had to use my mom's point and shoot.... but that's ok. I just wanted the memories :)

Going 90 to nothing

So it's been a while since I last blogged, I know. I've stayed pretty busy all year but I couldn't help but come back here to just gather thoughts and type them out so once this "season" of our life is passed, I can look back and remember what was going on. I mean, I'll remember us being BUSY BUSY BUSY- but I want to remember the little things!

We are currently in the process of finding our next home. We have made two trips to the DFW area and realized on our second trip there, the house we *thought* was the one, was not. Bummer. But so glad we were able to come to that conclusion- pretty quickly. Now we are back to the drawing board and are going to try to head back up there Sunday to see if we can find something. I just pray.... so hard.... that God will show us THE one. That we'll go "this is it. this is where we are suppose to be next". Is it going to be that easy? I doubt it. But I keep praying that. It's so stressful- being pregnant doesn't necessarily *help* anything that is going on right now- mainly the fact that I am physically becoming less mobile- but the main thing that makes it stressful is our sweet little girls that are about to start public school. This freaks me out. A lot. Public school? Oy. Big kid school? Oy. No more MDO? Oy. But I'll be ok- my little girl is growing up..... and our number 1 priority is getting her into a good school. And the area we are looking at has good schools. I just still get nervous. This is a big decision.

Khloe-
Here we go. Baby #3 is on the way and I have not blogged or taken pictures with this one NEAR as much as I did with Kensley and Kallie. :/ Lots going on in our life--- I hope she understands when she gets older ;) There will be plenty of pictures once she gets here, I can assure you. And I will still get her 1st year book made. It may just take longer..... and that's ok.

This pregnancy has been great- no complications, thank you Lord. Khloe moves around more than Kensley & Kallie ever did. I'm a little nervous as to what kind of baby she will be.... ;) If I wake up in the middle of the night, low and behold, she's squirming around. And all throughout the day---- and right now--- 9:30 at night. She's moving. I'm still not sure if it's because I am trying to savor every move I can b/c this is our last. I love feeling the baby inside of my belly- just something so awesome about it. Such a miracle. I said there hasn't been any complications- and there hasn't- BUT, I have had indigestion/heart burn pretty bad lately. I've had to take Zantac quite a few times. Maybe she'll have some hair? ;)

I recently bought an embroidery machine... that I have yet to put her name on ANYTHING! Maybe I'll get it done after the move. My craft room will be the first room I set up ;) I need to start embroidering some stuff!


Photography-

This season has been the BUSIEST one I've ever had. Seriously. It's been GREAT! I am so thankful for all my clients and how word of mouth helped me gain a few of my clients. It's so nice to build a steady little business- but the way it always happens for me and Kent- I get clients built up.... then move. It's life--- and that's our life. So I'll take it.

Girls' Update

Kensley is doing GREAT in school. She is one of the oldest ones in her class- there's a boy named Mason in there that she really likes to play with. They were in the same class last year but weren't really good friends- but this year they are. She's a mess. She's starting to like boys- ahhhhh! She has two good friends, Jimmy & Jaxon- Jaxon and her are buddies ;) We have to watch them closely. It's crazy how they are still so innocent, yet they are so curious.

Kallie is doing really well in her class at MDO. Every morning she goes in like she's sad- it's just a game now. (which may be a little annoying, but it's her.... she's not as easy going as Kensley.... and she takes a TOTALLY different parenting approach vs Kensley) Anyways, they have a box to put their name in with a smiley face or sad face. Every morning- sad face box. Then she looks at me and smiles. She's my tough one--- she is SO much like me, it's crazy. So we butt heads a lot. She's hard headed and whines a lot. I've been trying to remind myself that she is still 3. kensley is 5 and just has an entirely different personality than kallie. I need patience (which Kensley likes to remind me when I lose my temper with Kallie- she keeps me grounded, that's for sure) Kallie's personality is going to do her good one day- she won't let anyone run all over her, that's for sure. ;) She may be Kensley's protector in school- ha!


Kent's health-
We are still trying to figure out what is making kent feel so bad. He's been to the ER, family dr, Cardiologist, ENT, Neurologist..... headaches, stomach pains, chest pains.... I've been so scared for him- he's in a high stress job. I've feared the day the stress takes a huge toll on his body- so just keep praying for him. We're going to get to the bottom of this. He's pretty awesome and is about to have THREE little girls wanting to love on him and play with him--- we need him well!


Well, I think that's a good update for my future reference. Christmas is on the horizon- the girls are SUPER excited. I am SOOOO excited this year- Kensley really "gets" it so it makes it more fun. Kallie just goes along with it- she follows Kensley's lead. I'm about to get my big camera out and cleaned off and the big flash fired up so I can be ready this Christmas break for lots of pictures. I have neglected my sweet family with good pictures b/c I've been so busy with work. I'm ready for some good shots of them again! :)